To the mighty warriors who triumphed over the Black Death,
Slowly, over the course of the last few years, it seems we have become aware of each other's existence. I would like to take this opportunity, therefore, to introduce myself formally and to be clear to you about my intentions and my place in the world.
My name is Thorafin, Jarl of the Western Peninsula of Midgard. It is my aim to prevent Ragnarok.
From what I understand, you're aware of the story of our worlds. You know that the invasion of the Black Death coincided with the onset of the sacred final battle. You know that the battle ceased as the ichor spilled over the land and the denizens of all the planes of Norlund turned their attention from the end of the world to fight this enemy that would erase our very existence. Of course we lost much to that invasion, and there is much rebuilding to do, but thanks to all of you we survived and something of our civilization remains intact.
Ragnarok, as you know, was meant to be the sacred ending and rebirth of our world. Some of my detractors claim that I am shunning the workings of fate by standing in opposition of it. Those words injure me. I am a faithful man and I lived my life believing in the plans of the gods. But the gods, themselves, fell to the Black Death. The Allfather is erased from existence. The Vigrid is a decimated wasteland. The prophecies refer to
men and monsters and places that no longer exist. I am not shunning fate. Fate gave up on us long ago.
My goal is this. To take what's left of these broken lands and build an existence in which we can still thrive. Everything we once knew about our role in the world is now wrong, so we must forge our own way forward rather than dwell on a past that we
can't change. The surviving men and women of Midgard and even those from the other worlds have made their way to my lands, urged on by the hope of piecing their lives back together, pledging their strength to my cause. The work that I do here is kind and it is just.
I know that I stand in opposition to many, including you. Rather than continue to clash with the great heroes who defeated the Black Death, instead I seek an accord with you all. This summer, in the midst of Solmanudur, my people and I have planned a festival to revel in what we have accomplished since we began our mission of rebuilding. I would like to invite you all to journey over the Vanfrost that you built and join with us not in battle but in celebration. Compete in games and break bread with my subjects and allow me the privilege of doing honor to the great heroes that saved the world. It is my sincere hope that we can seek a common understanding with each other.
In hope of a better world,
Jarl Thorafin

Event Wrap-up

Hello Everyone,
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the many individuals that made our fourth Gilded Lion Summer Festival so successful.
To the loyal members of Rhiassa who are always ready and able to spend hours of preparation ahead of time, toil endlessly making props and food, and selflessly contributing however they are needed with the day of the event comes, thank you to Alex Groom, Katie Cannamela, Cory Roy, Siona Gouthro, and Ben Hamilton.
We are also humbled to have a number of individuals in our community who routinely make themselves available to help us in our endeavors, so for their efforts this time we would like to recognize Tom Gallagher, Zach Senchuk, Tucker Noyes, Kyle Yazinka, Joe Sims, Nataliya Kostenko, Neil Kusleika and Rachael DeRosa for lending us a hand NPCing, cooking and serving food, and whatever else was needed to make the day complete.
Also thank you to the many people who stayed late throughout the evening to help us clean up the site, especially Ryan Welch and Crystal Devoe who absolutely refused to leave until everyone from Rhiassa did. We very much appreciate that kindness.
Most of all, weâd like to thank you, our loyal players. We are incredibly honored and supremely delighted to see the varied ways that you have chosen to engage with the story that we are trying to tell. Itâs taken on a life and a vivacity that we never quite anticipated as we planned it out, and we promise to redouble our efforts to make sure our ability to weave this tale lives up to your expectations, your emotional investment, and your efforts.
We would deeply appreciate it if you would take the time to review the event on RealmsNET. This year we tried a lot of new things from our food selection to our organization of activities, and we would really like to know what resonated with all of you.
Until next time,
Lani, Jennifer, and Jason